Research at NREL's Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility examines the interaction of building energy systems, utility grids, renewable energy sources, and PEVs—integrating energy management solutions and maximizing potential greenhouse gas reductions and cost savings. This facility is used in tandem with NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility to explore these approaches at a systems scale.

NREL also leads the Energy Department's Integrated Network Testbed for Energy Grid Research and Technology Experimentation (INTEGRATE) project, which aims to enable energy efficiency, renewable power, and sustainable transportation technologies to increase the capacity, efficiency, and stability of the grid.

Research Focus

NREL collaborates with automakers, charging station manufacturers, utilities, fleet operators, and other national laboratories to enable PEV communication with the smart grid and to create opportunities for vehicles to play an active role in building and grid management.

NREL-designed strategies and models support the development of transportation electrification and the expansion of renewable generation through:

Understanding vehicle use profiles, PEV benefits, and battery life challenges

NREL is also exploring the potential of wireless power transfer technologies, including electrified roadways, to reduce petroleum consumption and vehicle operating costs while extending EV range, as depicted in this e-roadway animation.

Research results from NREL's electric vehicle grid integration work support NREL’s Sustainable Mobility Initiative, which approaches sustainable transportation as a network of travelers, services, and environments—rather than just vehicles and roads—using connectivity and automation to optimize mobility and significantly reduce related energy consumption.